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Topic: John Allison, John Billings and Meguiar's Swirl Remover |
Douglas Schuch
From:
Valencia, Philippines
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Posted 25 Feb 2014 9:44 pm |
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As I slowly rebuild these two old Sho-Buds I've acquired, I've gotten lots of good advice from lots of people. Unhappy with the finish I could get with my cheapo Philippine spray gun, I asked John Allison (Allison Guitars, Austin TX) about rubbing or buffing out the finish. Indeed, he said he did not consider an instrument "finished" after spraying - he considers rubbing or buffing out the finish essential to get the finish he requires. I have hand-rubbed out my guitars. Most recently, the D-10 I refinished with a two-tone stain. Still not happy with the finish, I tried the Meguiar's Swirl Remover 2.0 that John Billings recommends for an intact finish that just looks dull. Wow! Now we are talkin' SHINE! Before the Meguiar's I had a nice matte finish - lush, but not super shiny. Now, she positively glows. I'm not sure photos will show it (or, more accurately, photos tend to show shine on even dull finishes), but I will post pictures soon when I get it all put back together. I just wanted to give some kudos to the two Johns who have given me good free advice on polishing out my Sho-Bud's finish.
For the record, I wet-sanded the finish with 600, 800, and 1000 grit paper, then used felt pads with fine (4F) pumice, then rottenstone to polish out the instrument before the Meguiar's. All except the Meguiar's used water with some dish soap in it for lubrication.
If restoring an older finish, I'd probably try just the Meguiar's, but would consider the rottenstone and maybe the pumice, depending on condition.
Thanks John and John (and Ricky, and James, and various others)!
Doug
_________________
Bringing steel guitar to the bukid of Negros Oriental! |
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John Billings
From:
Ohio, USA
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Posted 26 Feb 2014 4:05 pm
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Thanks Doug! That Swirl Remover is great for cleaning up cruddy old finishes. And it won't touch the patina, just removes grime and atmospheric (nicotine) junk.
JB |
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Jon Light
From:
Saugerties, NY
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Posted 26 Feb 2014 4:09 pm
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| Do you do the Meguiar's with a drill-driven pad (or some other motorized means) or by hand? |
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John Billings
From:
Ohio, USA
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Posted 26 Feb 2014 4:20 pm
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If restoring an old finish, I just do it by hand. For a front apron, for example, I do about 1/3 of it at a time. Then once more across the whole length of the apron. I like to use worn out old socks turned inside out for the work. Once the guitar is done, I wax it with California Custom Em-ron Glass wax. Best I've found! You actually apply the wax, and then set the guitar body out in the Sun on a hot day, to bake it. Aluminum polishing is done with CC aluminum oxidizer, and then their Purple Polish. Beats, by miles, any of the other products I've ever tried in over 30 years. You can polish an endplate to the highest shine possible in less than 10 minutes. But it won't take out scratches, it's just a polish.
You can usually find the CC products at your local semi-truck dealer, or some Harley shops. They know what the best stuff is! |
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